How Carlos Kleiber made himself inconspicuous

In his autobiography (with Jane Scovell), Brian Large relates how he hired Kleiber’s son Marko as his assistance for a television production of Tristan und Isolde from Munich. Kleiber sent a message that he’d like to be there, but he did not want to be seen.

Large replied that he could sit with him outside the opera house in the control waggon – on condition he did not say a word throughout the performance, conducted by Lorin Maazel.

Kleiber turned up in dark sunglasses and settled in the van. In the middle of the first act he began grunting ‘no’ and ‘ah’. At the interval, Kleiber got up, thanked Large and headed off. ‘What’s the matter, Maestro?’ said Large.

‘It’s all too slow,’ said Kleiber, ‘I can’t bear to hear any more’. He rushed into his car and left with squealing wheels.

It was around this time, I recall, that Kleiber was meant to conduct the soundtrack for Franco Zeffirelli’s film of Otello, only to pull out because he disliked two of the leading singers. Zeffirelli made a call. Maazel jumped in, efficient as ever.

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